It’s Not a Gen Z Problem. It’s a Manager Problem

The Myth of the “Unprepared” Generation

The complaint is familiar: They don’t want to work. They can’t take feedback. They’re glued to their phones.

But this is lazy management camouflaged as generational insight. Gen Z didn’t invent unclear expectations, inconsistent leadership, or burned-out middle managers. They’re just the first generation willing

to question it openly.

According to Higher Ed Dive, more than half of hiring managers say recent graduates aren’t “work-ready.” That’s an indictment not of young professionals, but of the systems meant to prepare and develop them. You can’t expect 22-year-olds to come preloaded with habits they’ve never been shown, coached, or modeled.

Covey: Start With Trust and Clarity

Stephen R. Covey taught that “clarity builds trust.” If Gen Z employees seem lost, it’s because most managers haven’t defined success in concrete, observable terms.

Start every hire—especially early-career hires—with a Day-One Expectations Document:

• What does “good” look like in the first week, first month, and first quarter?

• How do we measure progress?

• Who are their go-to people for questions?

This isn’t busywork; it’s leadership hygiene. Covey argued that high-trust organizations are built on clear agreements, not assumptions. When Gen Z knows what success looks like, they show up eager to deliver it.

Edmondson: Build Psychological Safety Before Performance Pressure

Harvard’s Amy Edmondson calls psychological safety “the belief that one can speak up without fear of punishment or humiliation.”

Managers complain that Gen Z “needs constant reassurance.” In reality, they need constant communication. The difference is subtle but critical. The best managers create micro-feedback loops—short, specific, behavior-based conversations that happen weekly, not just in annual reviews.

Example:

Instead of “You need to be more professional,” say, “In yesterday’s meeting, you interrupted twice—let’s work on pausing to let others finish before responding.”

That’s feedback rooted in behavior, not vibes. And when done consistently, it creates a feedback culture where Gen Z thrives—because they finally know what’s expected and how to improve.

Goleman: Lead With Emotional Intelligence

Daniel Goleman’s research on emotional intelligence (EQ) shows that the best managers self-regulate, empathize, and communicate with intent.

Too many front-line managers mistake authority for leadership. But EQ-driven management means reading the room—and knowing when to switch from “telling” to “teaching.”

Here’s how to operationalize that:

• Weekly 15-Minute 1:1s: Short, structured check-ins focused on commitment and clarity. Ask: What’s one thing you accomplished, one thing blocking you, and one thing you’ll commit to next week?

• Written Recaps: Follow up with a 2-sentence written summary. It builds accountability and reinforces psychological safety—nothing gets lost in translation.

• Apprenticeship Over Oversight: Gen Z actually prefers hybrid or in-person work when it feels purposeful. Use proximity to mentor, not monitor. They want apprenticeship, not surveillance.

When managers use EQ to connect instead of command, performance improves—and turnover plummets.

Train Managers Like It’s a Core Product

Companies invest millions in recruiting and onboarding new hires, yet spend almost nothing developing the people who shape their daily experience: front-line managers.

If your managers aren’t trained to:

• Coach instead of criticize

• Create clarity instead of control

• Build trust instead of compliance

…then your organization will keep losing young talent faster than it can hire it.

Leadership development isn’t HR’s side project—it’s the operating system for every generation that comes next.

The Takeaway

The “Gen Z problem” is really a management design flaw.

You don’t fix it with ping-pong tables or another round of “back-to-office” mandates. You fix it by teaching managers to:

1. Define what success looks like (Covey).

2. Create safe spaces for iteration (Edmondson).

3. Lead with empathy and clarity (Goleman).

Train your managers like it’s your product—because in the modern workforce, it is.